Caitríona O'Leary

Irish singer

Caitríona O'Leary
Caitríona O'Leary in performance Photo by Tara Slye
Background information
Born	Donegal, Ireland
Genres	Folk, traditional Irish, Early Music
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Heresy Records, BMG, EMI

Website	www.caitrionaoleary.com

Musical artist

Caitríona O'Leary (born 1969) is an Irish singer, composer, and arranger. She is known internationally for her passionate and sophisticated performances of Traditional Irish Music, Early Music, Folk Music, Contemporary Music, and her own work. Called a “national treasure” by the Sunday Business Post and the “world’s leading early-music avant-gardist” by AUDIO Magazine, her recordings have met with broad critical acclaim. Her recording of The Wexford Carols, the result of many years of her researching and reconstructing traditional Irish Christmas songs and then teaming up with producer Joe Henry, guest singers Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash, and Rhiannon Giddens, and an all-star band featuring Dónal Lunny, Greg Cohen, reached #1 on the Billboard and Amazon charts. Her follow up album, Strange Wonders, The Wexford Carols Volume II, was produced by Ethan Johns and Dom Monks and featured guest performers Alison Balsom, Olov Johansson, Seth Lakeman, and Clara Sanabras. The COVID pandemic and resulting lack of public performances led to filmic collaborations with director Eric Fraad - Love’s Fever, Island of Saints, and Day Six, all film versions of her musical projects.

Discography

Dido and Aeneas (1994, Vox Classics)^[2]
Saints – Sequentia (1996, BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)^[3]
Shining Light – Sequentia (1996, BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)
Aquitania – Sequentia (1997, BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)
Carolan's Harp – The Harp Consort (1997, BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)^[4]
Ludus Danielis – The Harp Consort (1998, BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)
La Púrpura de la Rosa – The Harp Consort (1999, BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)
Dúil, Irish Songs of Love and Nature – O’Leary and Dúlra (2000 EMI/Virgin Classics)
I am Stretched on your Grave – O’Leary and Dúlra (2001, BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)
Miracles of Notre Dame – The Harp Consort (2003, BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)
Magdalena, Medieval Songs for Mary Magdalen – Joglaresa (2004, Avie)^[5]
Ecstasy – O’Leary and Dúlra (2012, Heresy Records/Naxos)
Shipwrecked – eX Early Music Ensemble (2012, Heresy Records/Naxos)^[6]
Motion of the Heart & Viva Frida – The Dublin Drag Orchestra (2012, Heresy Records/Naxos)
Possessed – eX Early Music Ensemble (2013, Heresy Records/Naxos)^[7]
Sleepsongs – O’Leary and Dúlra (2014, Heresy Records/Naxos)
The Wexford Carols with Tom Jones and others (2014)
Strange Wonders, the Wexford Carols, Vol.2 (2021, Heresy Records)

References

^ Harp Consort article in the Los Angeles Times
^ Dido and Aeneas album page on JuneClassic.net Archived 2014-03-08 at the Wayback Machine
^ O'Leary on the Sequentia website
^ Carolan's Harp on TheSession.org
^ Magdalena album page on Avie Records website
^ Review of Shipwrecked by Toccata-Alte Musik aktuell Archived 2014-03-03 at the Wayback Machine September issue 2013
^ Review of Possessed by The Arts Desk 01 February 2014